The Exhibitor (1951)

14 EXHIBITOR P f 0 P L t New York — Robert S. Benjamin, presi¬ dent, J. Arthur Rank Organization, Inc., last week announced that J. B. L. Law¬ rence, public relations counsel and mem¬ ber of the board of directors, had been granted a leave-of-absence in view of his call to active duty in the army abroad. Lawrence will be stationed at the head¬ quarters of General Eisenhower in Paris. Hollywood — Climaxing 21 years of serv¬ ice with Columbia Studios, Irving Briskin, studio general manager, last week signed a new seven-year contract with the com¬ pany. Briskin, the oldest studio executive in point of service, joined Columbia in 1930 as producer. New York — Donald F. Higgins was last week appointed chairman of the editorial board at “The March of Time.” Higgins succeeds Fred Feldkamp, who moved to the new television department as script supervisor. New York — Seymour Miller was last week named branch manager of United Artists’ St. John’s, New Brunswick, ex¬ change under Charles Chaplin, Canadian division manager. His promotion fills the vacancy left by Lou Michelson, resigned. SWG Awards Honors Hollywood — The third annual awards of the Screen Writers Guild were pre¬ sented last week at a banquet attended by over 1,000 persons. Carl Foreman re¬ ceived the top trophy and Robert Meltzer an award for “The Men,” said to “best depict the American scene.” Awards also went to Joseph Mankiewicz and Mary Orr for the best written comedy, “All About Eve”; to Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, and D. M. Marshman, Jr., for the best written drama, “Sunset Boulevard,” and 4 to Michael Blankfort and Elliott Arnold for the best written western, “Broken Arrow.” George Wells received an award for the best written musical, “Three Little Words,” while Herbert and Dorothy Fields received a similar award for “Annie Get Your Gun.” Christopher Awards, previously an¬ nounced in New York, were conferred upon Lamar Trotti for “Cheaper By The Dozen” and Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett for “The Father Of The Bride.” George Jessel was master of ceremonies. Hartman Named Freeman Aide Hollywood — Y. Frank Freeman, Para¬ mount vice-president in charge of studio operation, announced last week that Don Hartman will join his staff as supervisor of production. He will assume the duties formerly handled by Samuel J. Briskin, who relinquished the post due to his health. Hartman is scheduled to report to Paramount on March 5. He will work under the direction of Freeman, who is in complete charge of all studio operation. ELC Sued By Kings New York — King Brothers last week filed suit in the Los Angeles Superior Court against Eagle Lion Classics charg¬ ing breach of contract, and asking for an accounting of the receipts from “Paper Bullets,” a King production of 1941. The picture originally was released by PRC, which Eagle Lion Classics inherited, and later was reissued by ELC under the title, “Gangs, Inc.” Philly VC Convention Group Setting Plans PHILADELPHIA — A working or¬ ganization to handle the campaign for the 15th annual convention of Variety Clubs International, May 9-12, is ready for the drive that must be made to carry it to a successful conclusion, according to a statement of Victor H. Blanc, general chairman of the con¬ vention, this week. Blanc has surrounded himself with a steering committee consisting of Ted Schlanger, Jack Beresin, James P. Clark, Jay Emanuel, Everett C. Cal¬ low, Harold D. Cohen, Edward Eman¬ uel, Michael Felt, Louis J. Goffman, Jack H. Greenberg, David Supowitz, and Bennett E. Tousley, Edward Eman¬ uel will act as liaison officer. Goffman will be in charge of legal affairs, and Greenberg is treasurer. Greenberg has appointed Herbert Baylson, Cecil Felt, William Blumberg, and Sidney Samuelson to assist him. Daff Finds A/ew Exhibitor Interest New York— Exhibitors everywhere are showing a renewed interest in cooperating with distributors in a revival of motion picture showmanship, Alfred E. Daff, U-I director of world sales, currently visiting exchange centers, declared this week. Daff, who has met with all types of exhibitors during his weekend trips which have now brought him to more than half of the company’s 31 branches, is finding eagerness on the part of these exhibi¬ tors to cooperate fully with distributors in special advertising and exploitation, it was revealed. Daff stated that many exhibitors are mindful of the fact that the public is re¬ sponding better than ever to good pictures, and especially when they receive the benefit of extra attention in advertising and exploitation. In areas covered by television, he stated, exhibitors are anxious to cooperate in television advertising. Daff declared: “Exhibitors are also mindful of the importance of carrying in their advertis¬ ing the complete program, including newsreels and shorts. “Universal is following through on its policy to distribute pictures on a regional rather than a national scheme. In connec¬ tion with this, our local sales personnel have been instructed to tabulate informa¬ tion which can be weighed in relation to the national survey which continuously comes to us each week through our business charts. Our branch managers re¬ port that, as a result of this decentraliza¬ tion which enables them to negotiate the sale of pictures on a local level, certain territories show more improvement than others, due mainly to local conditions and local promotion efforts. “Most exhibitors are anticipating the program which COMPO is developing, both for the continuing improvement of the boxoffice, and for the general elevation of public relations in the industry.” For Real Coverage Of Happenings In Your Area, Read This Publication. COMPO Planning September Drive New York — Plans of the Council of Motion Picture Organization for a nation¬ wide boxoffice drive to start early in Sep¬ tember were given impetus last week at a luncheon at the Metropolitan Club at¬ tended by top distribution and advertising executives and leading exhibitors. Speeches by Ned E. Depinet, president, COMPO; Spyros Skouras, president, 20th Century-Fox; William F. Rodgers, MGM, and others emphasized that exhibition, distribution, advertising and production must all be united in the drive if it is to be a success, and that the organization which is to be set up to handle the campaign will be composed of all four branches of the business. Depinet announced at the close that he would appoint committees immediately to lay plans for the campaign, which was approved last November by the COMPO executive committee as one of the in¬ dustry agency’s major projects for the immediate future. Principal speaker was Skouras, who, as the originator of the “Movies Are Better Than Ever” campaign, acted as co-sponsor of the luncheon with Depinet. Declaring that the industry must revive the movie habit among the people, he laid down a program aimed to achieve the following: The industry must overcome the public’s idea that pictures have deteriorated in quality, that Hollywood is decadent and evil, that the film industry is panicky over the effects of television, and that Holly¬ wood cannot meet the demand for adult entertainment. He said COMPO’s program should show the national service the picture business performed in the last war, the immense charitable works it is doing, and drive home to the public the fact that local in¬ vestment in theatres is an important part of the American economy, and that the money spent on theatre admissions is only a small part of the total spent on all entertainment. Expressing confidence in the public’s enthusiasm for pictures, Skouras said that the only people who did not seem to recog¬ nize that fact were those in the business. Other speakers were Arthur L. Mayer, executive vice-president, COMPO; Leon¬ ard Goldenson, president, United Para¬ mount Theatres; Sol Schwartz, RKO The¬ atres; George Skouras, A1 Lichtman, 20th Century-Fox, and Max Youngstein, who originally presented the boxoffice cam¬ paign to the COMPO executive committee last November. Goldenson recommended that prizes, similar to the Oscars given by the Motion Picture Academy, be bestowed on the best boxoffice pictures of each of the four months the drive lasts. He said that an Oscar should be given the best picture in each of four classes, westerns, musicals, comedies, and straight dramas, the presentation to be made at a dinner in New York to the producers, directors, and stars of the prize-winning productions. Rodgers urged that the top exhibitor of each state be invited to Hollywood by the producers for discussion of mutual prob¬ lems, and Lichtman recommended a nationwide research program. February 28, 1951